Alabama

State Supplementation

Mandatory Minimum Supplementation

Optional State Supplementation

Statutory basis for payment: Code of Alabama 1975 as amended, title 38.

Funding

Administration: State funds.

Assistance: State funds.

Passalong method: Maintaining payment levels.

Place of application: County Departments of Human Resources. Applications are initiated through the county Departments of Public Health and the Department of Senior Services.

Scope of coverage: Optional state supplement provided to SSI recipients (including children) and some non-SSI recipients who reside in the specified living arrangements and who meet state criteria, but do not meet federal SSI income eligibility guidelines.

Resource limitations: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Income exclusions: Federal SSI regulations apply.

Recoveries, liens, and assignments: None.

Financial responsibility of relatives: Spouse for spouse; parent or stepparent for child under 18.

Interim assistance: State does not participate.

Payment calculation method:SSI recipients receive the full benefit based on living arrangement. Non-SSI recipients receive the difference in their countable income and the living arrangement benefit level. Countable income equals income minus $20 general exclusion and the applicable Federal Benefit Rate.

Receiving IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home

Level of independence A

509.34

794.00

60.00

120.00

Level of independence B

505.34

786.00

56.00

112.00

Receiving specialized IHC in a private home or personal care home

734.00

1,131.00

60.00

120.00

Receiving specialized IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home

509.34

794.00

60.00

120.00

Foster home with IHC or specialized IHC

784.00

1,231.00

110.00

220.00

Cerebral palsy treatment center (disabled)

870.00

1,403.00

196.00

392.00

SOURCES: Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs; state information.

NOTE: A licensed physician must recommend independent home-life care (IHC) or specialized IHC, and someone must actually provide and receive payment for the care. The care provider cannot be an immediate relative and must be employed by a certified home health agency.

DEFINITIONS:

Personal care home.

A domiciliary facility that provides care for four or more unrelated persons and is licensed by the Alabama Department of Health.

Foster home.

A domiciliary facility licensed or approved by the Alabama Department of Human Resources in accordance with state foster home provisions.

Cerebral palsy treatment center (disabled).

A domiciliary care facility for the treatment of cerebral palsy that is licensed by the Alabama Department of Health.

Number of recipients: See Table 2.

Table 2. Number of persons receiving optional state supplementation, January 2010

Living arrangement

Total

Aged

Blind

Disabled

All recipients

199

60

4

135

Receiving IHC in a private home or a personal care home

--

--

--

--

Receiving IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home

--

--

--

--

Receiving specialized IHC in a private home or personal care home

--

--

--

--

Receiving specialized IHC and support and maintenance in a private home or personal care home

--

--

--

--

Foster home with IHC or specialized IHC

--

--

--

--

Cerebral palsy treatment center (disabled)

--

--

--

--

SOURCE: State information.

NOTES: Includes some non-SSI recipients who meet state eligibility criteria, but do not meet federal SSI eligibility guidelines.

IHC = independent home-life care; -- = not available.

Total expenditures1: The state reported expenditures of $147,884 for calendar year 2009 in state-administered payments to SSI recipients.

State Assistance for Special Needs

State does not provide assistance for special needs.

Medicaid

Eligibility

Criteria:SSI program guidelines (Title XVI).

Determined by: Social Security Administration.

Medically Needy Program

State does not provide a program for the medically needy.

Unpaid Medical Expenses

The Social Security Administration does not obtain this information.

Note

1 Includes payments made to some non-SSI recipients who meet state eligibility criteria, but do not meet federal SSI income eligibility guidelines.